Monday, 25 June 2012

WSJ Social Media Editor: Structured Use Of Twitter Puts Him One Step Ahead

Using Twitter in a structured way, puts him one step ahead of the game says The Wall Street Journal's (WSJ) new Social Media Editor Neal Mann, in this video interview with Beet.TV Better known as @fieldproducer to his 47k plus followers, Mann's structured methods include publishing specific tweets in the build up to a newsworthy event, for a story he is covering. During the Arab spring or Julian Assange's bail, it is this structured approach that swiftly moved him into the role of a newswire, breaking news to his followers before mainstream publishers. Verification But, speed without accuracy, has zero value in journalism. For quality tip-offs, he says journalists need to be following the right people, something that takes time and a lot of effort. Mann's credible reputation is also due to his use of additional tools such as Google Street View and Google Earth to verify the truth in pictures and other media released online. Named at one time, the 'UK's most influential tweeter,' in a joint study by Tweetminster news website and communications agency Portland, Mann recently left Sky News, where he was the digital news editor. He will be working with the social media team at The WSJ, covering foreign news and growing the paper's social media presence to increase audience engagement with online content.